Karachi's reports first brain-eating amoeba, victim on ventilator

KARACHI: Karachi has reported its first confirmed case of the deadly brain-eating amoeba in 2026, with a 44-year-old man currently fighting for his life in intensive care.

Health authorities confirmed that the patient has tested positive for Naegleria fowleri, a rare but highly fatal amoeba that attacks the brain after contaminated water enters the body through the nose.

According to officials, the man is currently admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and is on ventilator support. His condition remains critical as doctors continue aggressive treatment.

The patient's family says the prolonged stay at a private hospital has become financially overwhelming. With medical expenses continuing to rise, they are now trying to transfer him to a public-sector hospital where treatment costs are significantly lower.

Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in warm freshwater bodies such as lakes, rivers, canals and inadequately chlorinated water supplies. The amoeba infects people when contaminated water enters the nose, allowing it to travel to the brain, where it causes Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM)—a disease that is almost always fatal.

The infection does not spread from person to person and cannot be contracted by drinking contaminated water.

Health experts say early symptoms include severe headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. As the disease progresses, patients may develop a stiff neck, confusion, seizures and eventually lose consciousness.

Because the infection advances rapidly, authorities stress that immediate medical attention is crucial if symptoms appear after exposure to warm freshwater or untreated water. Although early diagnosis improves the chances of treatment, survival remains extremely rare.

The latest case serves as a reminder for residents to avoid allowing water to enter their noses while swimming and to ensure household water tanks and supplies are properly chlorinated, particularly during the summer months when Naegleria infections are more commonly reported.